The Hunter
by JA Baker
Summary: After Dylan rejects her, Rommie runs away. 3-years later, she is drawn back to the Andromeda for a dangerous mission to save the Commonwealth, and old feelings return.
1. Home sweet home

The Hunter, part 1  
  
She slipped silently along the corridor: The Targets room was just up ahead, and given the security on this Drift, it should be an easy job. She didn't know why the Drago's where willing to pay so much just to have one regular human killed, but then, she wasn't paid to think.  
  
One thing was bugging her thou: her contact had given her the room number, and confirmed that the Target was the only person inside, but hadn't given her his name. She didn't like knowing her Targets name, but it sometimes helped.  
  
She reached the room, and easily overrode the lock. The room was pitch- black, but that didn't stop her: she simply switched to infer-red. She slowly made her way across the room to the bed, and pointed her gun at the sleeping form. She was about to pull the trigger when the Target rolled over, and she saw his face.  
  
No! Not him! Not after all this time!  
  
She started to back away, and didn't see the low table behind her. It didn't make a lot of noise, just enough to wake the Target up. He flipped the light on, and gasped, "You? What the?" Before he could ask any more questions, the Hunter was out the door, running as fast as she could.  
  
She reached the right docking port and clambered through. She closed the air locked behind her, "Dex, get us the hell out of here!" she yelled to the pilot. There was a thump as the docking hatched where released, then the small ship's powerful engines kicked in, hurtling them away from the drift. The pilot turned to her, "What happened Boss?" The Hunter shock her head, "I froze up Dex, I couldn't do it." Dex laughed, "You, freeze up on a hit? That'll be the day!" She looked at him sadly, "I've never been hired to kill someone I love before."  
  
Dex was about to ask another question when alarms started going off. He looked at the sensor screen, "Boss, we got a really big ship closing from astern. I don't think we can out-run them to the slipstream portal!" The Hunter looked at the screen, "Well, well, well, my old friend, were where you hiding?" Dex looked at his employer, "You know the Andromeda Ascendant?" She laughed, "You could say that. Evasive manoeuvres, keep moving before she gets a lock with the grapples."  
  
Dex dodged and weaved, but all to no avail: first one, then two grapple lines snagged the ship and started to pull them in.  
  
There was a loud bang as the ship came to rest in the cavernous hanger. The Hunter sighed, "Home sweet home. You better stay here for now Dex: it's personal." The pilot was confused, but knew better than to argue with his boss. She walked back to the air-locked and opened it. Two armed figures stood outside, guns raised. She smiled, her arms raised, "Harper, Tyr, it's been a while."  
  
The engineer smiled back, but kept his gun level, "Welcome home Rommie."  
  
TBC 


	2. The Past

The Hunter, part 2  
  
Dex had grown tired of looking at the cell walls, "So, Boss, you going to tell me what's going on here or not?" Rommie laughed, "Well, for a start, my full name is Andromeda Ascendant, and I was this ship's AI-Avatar." Dex blinked, "Hay, Boss, I known you an Android and all, but you never told me you're an Avatar!"  
  
Rommie nodded, "I'm sorry Dex, I've spent the past three years trying to forget my previous life. You what to know my story?" Dex nodded, "It'll beat looking at the wall." Rommie smiled, "Ok then: you know the Andromeda's story, every one dose. But, what most people don't know is that back before The Fall, the ship's AI developed a little crush on her captain. Back then she didn't have an Avatar, so there was no way for her to act on these feelings. Then along comes Seamus Harper, her new engineer, and he fell for Andromeda, and so he built me, her Avatar."  
  
"Now, Andromeda saw me as a way to deal with her feelings towards her captain, and gave me most of her emotions. So I fall hopelessly in love with a man who sees me as just another part of his ship. It was not very easy for me, and after three years of hiding my emotions, I gave up and confessed all to the captain. He did not reciprocate my feelings, and things became very difficult between the two of us."  
  
"So I ran away: we docked at a Drift, and I slipped away on a freighter. I did lots of different jobs, whatever it took to get me further away from this ship and her captain. Eventually I became a Bounty Hunter. AI's can't pilot through Slipstream, so I needed help, and that's when we met. So now you know the whole sorry story."  
  
Dex blinked, "And the target on the Drift?" Rommie nodded, "Captain Dylan Hunt, the man I ran from: I've spent three years trying to forget about him, but I never could. I want to introduce you to someone." She looked up at the ceiling, "You want to make your presences known?"  
  
Dex jumped back as Andromeda's hologram appeared. Rommie smiled, "Dex, say hello to Shining Path to Truth and Knowledge AI model GRA 112, serial number XMC-10-182, or as she's better known, Andromeda. Andromeda, this is my friend and pilot, Dexter Wells." Dex smiled nervously, "Hi." Andromeda nodded, "Nice to meet you Mr Wells." She turned back to Rommie, "What have you done?"  
  
Rommie tapped the side of her head, "You mean 'why can't I read your mind'? Simple: I turned of my transceiver a long time ago. I knew that there was a chance of the two of us crossing paths again, and I didn't want you messing with my head again." Andromeda blinked, "I never messed with your head!" Rommie stood up, "Considering it's your feelings, the feelings you gave me, that led to this, I'd say yes, you did mess with my head."  
  
The door opened, revelling Tyr, Gauss Rifle at the ready, "Dylan wants to talk to you." 


	3. Fear & Love

The Hunter, part 3  
  
Tyr followed Rommie as she walked along the familiar corridors, his Gauss Rifle levelled at her back. She noticed that the internal defences also followed her every move. They were scared of her. She smiled. They had good reason to fear her: since leaving this ship she had become one of the most feared Bounty Hunters and Assassins in the Known Worlds. Her kill count was staggering. She did the jobs none else had the guts or the brains to do, and did it well.  
  
Despite this, she felt herself tensing up as she approached the captain's office: It had been three years since she had laid eyes on Dylan, not counting the few seconds back on the Drift. Even after what he had said to her, what he had called her, she knew that she still loved him just as much as she had before. She started to clench and release her fists, trying to calm herself down. They reached the door, and it opened before her. She took a deep breath, a reflex Harper had built into her such a long time ago, and stepped through.  
  
And there he was: Captain Dylan Hunt, the man she loved, and who had reacted to her declaration of how she felt by turning his back on her. There had been times over the years where she had thought of hunting him down and killing him, but she had never been able to go through with it. Damn, why did she still have these feelings for him?  
  
He stood from behind his desk, "Rommie, its good to see you again." She stood unmoving, "Why did you come looking for me?" Dylan blinked, "What makes you think that we came looking for you? You came after me."  
  
Rommie sat down on a chair and rested her feet on his desk, "Don't play games with my Dylan, I don't have the time nor the patients for it: 1) I've done my best to keep as far away from you and this ship as I can the past three years. 2) I've rigged my ship's sensors to worn me if it picks up ether the Andromeda or the Maru, and you where on my tail too fast for it to be coincidence. 3) I've been offered contracts on you and the others many times, but I've always turned them down. Finally 4) you had Tyr escort me here rather then comedown to my cell your self to talk to me. Did I miss anything out, or is that it?"  
  
Dylan nodded, "Yes, it was a set up: we placed the bounty on my head in such a way that you'd be the only one for the job. There was an outside risk that you'd just shoot me, but it was a risk I was willing to take. We need you to come back." Rommie laughed, "I find that hard to believe: we've both survived three years apart, I think we can go the rest of your natural life without having to meet again. Are you going to let me go, or do I have to bust Dex out of the cell and fight my way to my ship?"  
  
Dylan's eyes fell, "If you want to leave, you may. I won't stop you." He looked up "I'm sorry for what I said to you: it was inexcusable." Rommie's eyes narrowed "Damn it Dylan! I told you I loved you and you asked Harper to check and see if I had a virus. Is there any wonder why I left? Don't ever let me see you or this ship again. Leave me alone!" With that, she stormed from the room.  
  
TBC 


	4. Burning bridges

The Hunter, part 4  
  
Rommie quickly made her way back to the brig and opened the cell door, "Dex, We're leaving." The pilot stood and followed her from the room and down the corridor towards the hanger. He finally plucked up the courage to ask the question, "How did it go?" Rommie stopped, "Badly: He says they need me to come back, but I can't forgive him for what happened."  
  
"Maybe you should look beyond that."  
  
Rommie stopped and span round, "Trance!" She grabbed the young woman and lifted her off the deck and up against the wall, "You're the one who told me to tell Dylan how I felt!" Trance grabbed Rommie's hand and tried to loosen the vice-like grip, "I'm sorry: I didn't know it would end like this!" Rommie's eyes where hard and uncaring, "Have you any idea of the things I've had to do to survive since leaving? Don't you have memories of that from your future?" Trances gasped, trying to breath, "It wasn't meant to end like this, I swear!"  
  
Rommie's mouth twisted into an evil scow, "And how was it meant to work out?" Trance's eyes had stated to bulge, "He was meant to realise that he loves you too! I'm sure that if you hadn't left, he would have." Rommie loosened her grip, and Trance dropped to the floor, gasping for breath, "Well he didn't. Goodbye Trance." She pushed past a stunned Dex and continued on her way.  
  
They made their way to the hanger, and Rommie stopped at the airlock, "Out of the way Valentine!" Beka stood at the hatch to Rommie's ship, "You should stay you know. We need you. Dylan needs you." Rommie took a few steps forward, "Get out of my way Beka, I don't want to have to hurt you." Beka stood her ground, "What happened to you? Why have you changed so much?" Rommie tilted her head to the side and smiled, "You always told me the universe had become a cruel and dangerous place: Well, I got to experience it for myself. Now get out of my god-damn way!"  
  
Beka stood aside as Rommie and Dex climbed into their ship and prepared for takeoff. She made her way through the airlock, and sealed it just as Harper arrived, "What's going on? Why she leaving?" Beka shook her head, "She's been trough to much to let go of what happened between her and Dylan. She's not the Rommie we used to know." They watched through the window as the ship took-off.  
  
Rommie sat brooding at the weapons station as Dex headed for the slipstream portal. He turned his head to the side, "Hay Boss, your friends are trying to hail us." Rommie looked at him, "Let them. Nowhere dose it say we have to answer." Dex nodded, knowing when it was best to keep quiet. They where mere seconds from slipstream when Rommie laid her hand on his shoulder, "Wait." She leaned over and answered the hail: Dylan's face filled the screen, "Rommie, I know I hurt you but." Rommie raised a finger to silence him, "If I come back, it's under my rules, and for my reasons. Agreed?" Dylan nodded, "Agreed."  
  
TBC 


	5. This other Me

The Hunter, part 5  
  
Rommie sat impatiently as Harper ran his scanner over her, "Wow! What you do to your self Rom-doll?" Dex laughed "Rom-doll?" Rommie shot him a glance, "You ever tell anyone and I'll kill you!" Smiling, Dex nodded, "What ever you say Boss."  
  
Harper looked at her again, "What happened to you? Why did you change?" Rommie's eyes where hard, "You have no idea what it's like for an AI out there, do you? I had to take the crap, dangerous, and unpleasant jobs going just to stay alive: I had to scrub the inside of sewers. I inspected power conduits where the radiation would have killed a normal human instantly. I finally got a job as a bounty hunter on Kingfisher, and I've been doing that ever since." Harper's face fell, "You didn't have to run you know, you could have, should have, stayed. Dylan was pretty cut-up when you left. He's never really gotten over it." Rommie smiled, "Good."  
  
"Hay, Harper, have you got that power-relay I asked you to fix?" came a voice from the door. Rommie saw Harpers eyes go wide, and so turned to see who it was. She found herself looking in a mirror: In the doorway, almost as shocked as she was, was another her. Rommie cocked her head to the side, "Well I see you've been keeping busy Harper." The engineer found his voice, "Ann, this is Rommie, your predecessor. Rommie, this is Ann, your.." Rommie smiled, "You can say it: my replacement."  
  
Harper nodded, "Yep. Look, we needed an Avatar, so Dylan asked me to build a new one." Rommie nodded, "How long did he wait?" Harper sighed, "Two years: it wasn't until one of Tyr's old mercenary contacts told us you where a Bounty Hunter that he gave up hope that you'd come back of your own free-will." Rommie nodded, "Dose she have the same problem I had, or has Andromeda left her alone?"  
  
Andromeda's hologram appeared, her face downcast, "I left her to develop her own emotions and feelings: after what happened to you, I didn't want to do that to her." Rommie smiled, "How very kind of you. Pity you had to mess- up my life before you learned that lessen! I need to go see what Dylan wants from Me." She walked straight through Andromeda on the way out.  
  
Harper turned to Dex, "Is she always like this?" The pilot nodded, "Some times she'll get drunk and start sobbing about all the friends he had to leave behind because of love. But if I asked her what she meant, she'd clam up on me. I didn't know she'd even met any of you until yesterday. What ever this Dylan guy did to her, he messed her up big time!"  
  
TBC 


	6. “You going to help me or not?”

The Hunter, part 6  
  
Making her way back to Dylan's office, Rommie noticed that the new crewmembers were keeping their distance, but their eyes followed her. What a treat it must be for them: the ship's infamous first Avatar, back from her self-imposed exile. The thought made he chuckle: How many of them knew the whole story?  
  
She stopped out side Dylan's office and knocked. The door opened automatically, and she stepped inside. Dylan sat behind a stack of flexies, "Ah, Rommie! I just want to tank you for changing your mind. It must be hard for you to be back here, but we've missed you." Rommie sat down, "You missed me so much in fact that you had Harper build you a replacement." Dylan winced, "I take it you've met Ann then." Rommie smiled, "She popped into the machine shop while Harper was giving me a tune-up. Now, you want to tell me what this is all about?"  
  
Dylan sat back in his chair, "We've had reports that the Magog World-Ship is almost ready to attack, and we need a way to defeat it. We think we've found on, but it's on New St. Petersburg." Rommie laughed, "New St. Petersburg! As is, the biggest, most heavily defended, High Guard supply depot in the Milky Way Galaxy?" Dylan nodded, "That New St. Petersburg."  
  
Rommie rolled her eyes, "Your mad! What on earth could be there that is worth the risk?" Dylan handed her a flexi, "According to the last inventory taken before The Fall, 1,500 Nova Bombs." Rommie's whistled, "That's a lot of firepower! But how do you plan to get it? There must be automated defences, a controlling AI with defensive androids and nano-bots!"  
  
Dylan nodded, "True: if we tried to take the Andromeda anywhere near the planet, we'd be blasted into vapour by the orbital defences immediately." He handed her a second flexi, "But a small team just might be able to land undetected and reach the AI's control processor and convince it that we're friendly." Rommie nodded, "Who do you have in mind for this elaborate suicide pact?" Dylan smiled, "Me, Tyr and You. We'll need a pilot to fly us there. I was going to ask Beka, but as I plan to use your ship for this mission, I might ask your friend Dex to do it instead."  
  
Rommie stood up and slammed her hand down on the desk, "What the hell makes you think you can use my ship?" Dylan's smile widened, "Articles of War: a High Guard officer in Commonwealth space may commandeer any and all ship, vessel and other craft they need to complete his or her mission. Well, I'm a High Guard officer, and this is Commonwealth space. You going to help me or not?"  
  
Rommie sat down, knowing there was nothing she could do, "I'll help."  
  
TBC 


	7. Point of no return

The Hunter, part 7  
  
Dex was strapping himself into the pilots seat when Rommie sat at the weapons station beside him, "You know you don't have to do this Dex: you can stay behind." Dex shook his head, "And let you have all the fun? Look, I'm flattered that you're so concerned for me, but I'm not letting you or this ship out of my sight for one second: what would I do for a living if something happened to ether of you?" Rommie chuckled, "Keep that attitude up fly-boy and I'll clip your wings."  
  
Tyr climbed through the hatch, a bag of gear in one hand, his Gauss Rifle in the other, "Can this crate even fly?" Rommie grabbed Dex before he could get out of his seat, "Watch it Uber, or I'll kick you out of the airlock during slipstream!" Tyr seemed shocked by the young man's reaction, then he smiled, "My apology's to both you and your ship Mr Wells: I should have learnt from my fiancée that insulting a pilots ship is never a good survival trait." Rommie blinked, "Beka?" Tyr smiled, "There is a lot you have missed in the three yours you've been away. That said, at times I envy you: you have all the freedom you're ever need, while I have to submit to the rules and laws of the Commonwealth."  
  
"It can't be all that bad?" Dylan said as he closed the airlock behind him. The smile he gave Rommie as he sat down and strapped in made her head-spin: never a good thing just before a job. That was how she had to think of it: just another job. More dangerous then any she'd had before, but still just another job. The only problem was it was with Dylan! Seeing him again had brought back all the old feelings: the yearning for his touch, his smile, a kind word, anything!  
  
Why did she still have these feelings for him? She could have deleted all her memories of him and her time on Andromeda, but she could never bring herself to do it. She concentrated on her screen as Dex requested clearance, "This is the Argo to flight control: requesting permission to depart." Beka's voice came back over the com-link, "Argo, this is command: you are cleared to go at this time. Good luck."  
  
There was a slight jolt as the Argo left Andromeda's AG field and blasted free of the bigger ship. Dex swung the ship round and pointed it at the slipstream portal, "Anyone want to get off, now's the time to say so." There where no takers, and Dex smiled, "Don' say I didn't give you the chance!" Grinning like a madman, he took the ship into slipstream.  
  
Rommie looked at her screen and sighed, "Dylan, can you please open the supply locker to your right." Dylan raised an eyebrow, but did as he was asked: with a thump, Trance fell to the deck, "Ouch! You didn't have to do that! You could have just asked me to come out you know!" Dylan rubbed his eyes wearily, "I won't even bother asking what you're doing here, and as it's too late for you to go back, you can sit down and strap yourself in!" Trance did as she was told without a word.  
  
TBC 


	8. Fire & Ice

The Hunter, part 8  
  
The Argo exited slipstream and Dex started punching commands into the autopilot, "Ok, now the fun part: in order to get past the orbital defences without being vaporised, we have to trick them into thinking we're an asteroid. But, and this is the really fun part, to do so we have to shut down main power. We're zero-G for the next few hours, so I suggest we all take this opportunity to use the bathroom. Then wrap-up warm: I have to cut the heats as well, and it's going to get a bit cold in here."  
  
He turned to the others and grinned, "And then when we plunge into the atmosphere of New St Petersburg at 6-G's it's going to get hotter than hell! God I love my job." Dex jumped past the others and disappeared into the bathroom.  
  
Dylan turned to Rommie, "Where did you find him?" Rommie gave the others a hard look, "Cut him some slack: He used to be an FTA pilot, but he go captured by slavers. We met when I was hired to take the slavers down, one way or another. By then he'd spent two years at their tender mercies, and was a little angry that the FTA had never intended to pay the ransom offer for him. He quit, and signed up with me."  
  
Dex reappeared, and the others took turns to make use of the bathroom. When they where ready, Dex activated the autopilot, and the Argo started to slowly spin. As soon as the correct course was achieved, Dex cut main power: bits of scrap floated towards the ceiling as the AG-field died.  
  
The trip to New St Petersburg took two long days, and by the end of it, the crew where more than happy to see the blue/green planet before them. Dex used the manoeuvring thrusters to take the Argo into the planets upper atmosphere. He started to take off the thick clothing he had been wearing since they entered system, "You all might what to loose some clothing: we have to go in steep to mimic an meteorite, and its going to get hot." The others did as they where told, and soon they where all wearing just their underwear.  
  
Dylan found himself looking at Rommie from behind: he had never before realised how strongly he felt for her. He hadn't stopped thinking about her since she left them, left him, three years ago. He suddenly realised how happy he had been when Trance had told him that they needed to find the wayward Avatar if this mission was to have a chance of succeeding.  
  
Trance saw Dylan's reaction to Rommie, and smiled to her self.  
  
The Argo started to heat-up as it plunged deeper and deeper into New St Petersburg's atmosphere. The G's also increased steadily, and the five of them found themselves pinned into their seats as the small ship continued it's hyper-ballistic dive towards the planet below.  
  
TBC 


	9. Dressed to kill

The Hunter, part 9  
  
The Argo shook heavily as it continued its plunge through the atmosphere. Tyr scream to be heard over the noise of the wind, "Shouldn't we level out now?" Dex shook his head, "Only if we want the defence grid to notice us. Trust me: this is not the first time the Boss and me have had to get past a planetary defence grid without detection." Dylan looked at Rommie, who seemed embarrassed, "Some people seem to have trouble with assassins. Just ask Tyr." The Nietzschean laughed, "Quite true."  
  
The altimeter read 2000-meters, and Dex started to pull back on the controls. The Argo responded, slowly bringing its nose up. At less than 100- meters above the ground, the Argo started to bleed off speed so that Dex could begin the landing sequence. He brought the ship down in a small clearing, "Ok, according to the map Andromeda gave us before we left, we're about 2-kilometres from the entrance to he underground bunker housing the control centre. I'm not ready any contacts, but the sensors are on low, so they can't see more than 200-meters out."  
  
Dylan un-zipped the bags Tyr had carried on, "We better get suited up. Trance, we don't have a suit for you." Rommie looked at her former captain, "She can use mine: I have my own clothes for this sort of job." She disappeared off into the crew's sleeping quarters. The others got changed, and started to choose what weapons and equipment to take with them.  
  
The door to the sleeping quarters opened, and Dylan turned round, "What do you want to.." He stopped mid sentence when he saw Rommie: She was dressed in a tight black leather cat suit that stretched from her ankles to her neck. A thick belt held pouches designed to carry all sorts of equipment, and a pair of Gauss-guns hung from holsters. Her hair was tied back in a short ponytail. She carried a large Gauss Rifle in one hand, and a backpack was strapped securely to her back, "We ready to go or you just going to sit there gawking all day?"  
  
Dylan found his voice, and handed her a forcelance, "You may need this." Rommie took it and looked it over, "I've still got one around somewhere, but I don't use it: ammo is a bit hard to come-by outside the Commonwealth." Dylan just nodded, not will in to trust his voice any further.  
  
Rommie opened the airlock and looked outside, "Look's safe. Let's get it over with."  
  
TBC 


	10. Reflex Action

The Hunter, part 10  
  
The five of them slowly made their way across the clearing and into the forest beyond. Rommie suddenly raised her hand to signal the others to stop: There was something in the trees up ahead. She raised her forcelance, and used its in-built scanner to try and see what it was. She looked at the results and her eyes went wide. "DOWN!" she screamed as loud as she could, instinctively grabbing the person next to her and throwing them to the ground.  
  
A green and brown painted Planetary Warfare-bot sent a stream of high- explosive rounds into the area they had been standing. Tyr fired back with his Gauss Rifle, doing no apparent damage to the huge war-machine. It tracked its weapons left and right, trying to find a target.  
  
Dex tapped a quick stream of commands into his wrist-com and smiled: a panel on the side of the Argo opened-up to reveal a heavy Gattling-gun. The weapon locked onto the Planetary Warfare-bot and fired off a burst of depleted-uranium rounds: the armour piecing shells ripped the robot to peaces, sending it's smoking hulk to the ground with a thump.  
  
Rommie looked down to see who she had knocked out of the way, and found herself lying on top of Dylan. She quickly rolled off of and turned her back to him so he couldn't see the expression on her face. She quickly picked up her dropped Gauss Rifle and stood-up, "Sound-off." Voices started to reply from the threes: "Dex, clear.", "Tyr, clear." "Trance, clear.", "Dylan, clear." The last voice came from just behind her, and she found herself relived that he was safe.  
  
Tyr looked at the decimated Planetary Warfare-bot, then at the Argo, "What the hell did you use on it?" Dex smiled, "An old anti-missile cannon we picked up on Earth a year or so back. It can take out anything short of a anti-ship missile, or, as you can see, a Planetary Warfare-bot." Tyr shook his head, "Any other surprises built into that ship?" Dex grinned, "Now that would be telling."  
  
Dylan placed a hand on Rommie's shoulder, making her jump. He smiled slightly, "I just want to say thank you for saving my life again." Rommie kept her back to him, "It was just a reflex action, nothing special." Dylan's face fell slightly, "Well, thank you anyway." He turned and headed off to where the others where waiting.  
  
Rommie swore under her breath: of all the people she could have knocked over, why did it have to be Dylan? It truly had just been a reflex action like she had told him, but he had obviously seen her reaction when she saw him looking up at her. She had to stop pretending and admit it: she still loved Dylan, and would gladly give her own life to save his. Not a good idea for a mercenary to feel like that, but it was the truth.  
  
Dylan slowly made his way other to the others, but his mind was on Rommie: did she still feel for him? How did he really feel for her? Did he, could he, love her? He stopped and thought for a second: when she had left he'd felt like the bottom had fallen out of his world, and now she was back, he felt whole again.  
  
The realisation hit him like a lightning bolt: he did indeed love Rommie! More than that, he felt curtain that he had loved her three years ago when she had confessed her feelings for him. How could he have been so stupid? He had driven her away, and now it looked like he had lost her forever. Cursing himself, he continued on to the where the others stood.  
  
Rommie joined them, "Ok, the main AI must know where here now, so let's get moving." She stalked off into the forest, leaving the others to follow.  
  
TBC 


	11. Pitfall

The Hunter, part 11  
  
The entrance to the command-centre was hidden deep within a cave system. Rommie took point, using her built-in sensors to detect booby-traps as they went. The door it's self was a solid sheet of metal set into a cliff-face. Dylan typed an override command into a keypad, and it slid open.  
  
The corridor beyond was almost identical to those on the Andromeda, except it was deserted. Rommie scanned the first stretch of hallway, "No defences that I can detect, but there are several inferred-sensors along the walls. Stand clear." The others did as they where told as Rommie took a few steps back, then ran at the doorway.  
  
The moment she cleared the door, she leapt into the air, and landing on her hands in the corridor, continued to back-flip until she reached the first junction. She landed expertly on her feet next to a control panel, and entered a command, "Ok, it's safe for you to follow now." Dex immediately stepped through the doorway, followed closely by the others.  
  
Dylan stopped next to Rommie, "Where did you learn to do that?" Rommie shrugged, "Just something I picked up. Let's move before the AI sends a security-drone to investigate." As if to prove her right, a forcelance- wielding android rounded the next corner. Tyr reacted immediately, blasting the robot with his Gauss Rifle, "I think we should do as she says."  
  
They quickly ran along a series of corridors until they reached a junction. Rommie stopped them before they could go any further, and pulling a small stone from a pouch on her belt, tossed it into the centre of the junction: it fell straight through the floor. Dylan smiled, "Holographic pitfall. Very nice." Trance took a length of rope from her backpack, and securing a magnet to the end, threw it across the gap. It landed with a re-assuring clang against the far-wall. Dylan attached a second magnet to the end Trance still held, and secured it to the wall beside them, "Ok, one at a time. Trance, you're the lightest, so you go first."  
  
Trance nodded, and after securing a safety-line to her belt, started across the rope, hand-over-hand. She reached the other side and double-checked the magnet, "Look's safe." Dylan nodded and sent Dex over next. Try and Rommie followed, until it was just Dylan left to go. He was halfway over when his hands slipped.  
  
He dangled from the rope by his legs. The magnets started to shift, threatening to give way. Tyr and Dex grabbed the line on their side and held it tight. Dylan tried to reach the rope with his hands, but was unable to get a grip. Rommie took a box from her backpack, and secured it to the ceiling. She took a length of cord from it, and secured it to her belt. Slowly, she started to ease-out along the rope towards the stranded Dylan, a thin cord playing out behind her, "Hold still, I've almost got you." Unable to do anything but node, Dylan did as he was told and hung on.  
  
With a high-pitched screech, the magnet on the far side gave way, sending Dylan plunging down thorough the holographic-floor, Rommie following after.  
  
TBC 


	12. One moment can change everything

The Hunter, part 12  
  
Dylan fell headfirst through the darkness, unable to see the bottom of the shaft. He screamed instinctively, his voice filling the void.  
  
Rommie also fell, but was able to keep most of her emotions in check: true, she was terrified at the idea that Dylan could get hurt, or even killed, but she had to concentrate on what she was doing. She slowly adjusted the AG harness built into her belt, allowing her to catch up with Dylan. She managed to grab his foot, then pulled her way along his leg until she reached his belt: Un-clipping a safety line from her own belt, she attached it to his.  
  
Two seconds later, the cable connecting Rommie to the top of the shaft run- out, bringing them both to a jarring halt, winding Dylan. Rommie looked at the thin cord: it was rated to hold twice her own weight, but Dylan weighed more than she did.  
  
Dex's voice filled her ear, "Ere, Boss, you manage to grab him in time?" Rommie smiled, "Yes I managed to grab Dylan: he's a little winded, but he'll be fine." Dex sounded more than a little worried, "How far are you from the bottom?" Rommie swung her forcelance round and activated the inbuilt flashlight, "About three meters, why?" Dex sounded a little relieved, "Because the cables about to brake."  
  
There was a loud twang from above, and Dylan and Rommie fell the last few meters to the ground. Rommie sat up and rubbed her head, "Thanks for the warning Dex! Ok, looks like we're in a service-tunnel. You three continue on, we're find our own way." Trances voice came over the link, "How's Dylan?" Rommie looked over at the moaning figure on the floor beside her, "A little bruised, but nothing appease to be broken: He'll live. Let's get going." She cut the link and helped Dylan to his feet, "You should have worn gloves." Dylan winced, "Now you tell me."  
  
Rommie pointed the flashlight down the tunnel, "This is the direction we where meant to go, so we should follow it." Dylan winced, "Easy for you to say: I think I sprained my ankle." Rommie knelt down and examined his foot, "Yep, it's a sprain all right." She stood back up, "You'll have to lean on me." Dylan put an arm around her shoulder, and she helped him hobble among the tunnel.  
  
Despite the pain, Dylan found he liked being this close to Rommie: he could feel the heat from her body through the tight cat suit. He tried to put these thoughts out of his mind: if he did anything to upset her, she could easily leave him there, and that was the last thing he wanted.  
  
Rommie also felt the effects of being so close to Dylan, but unlike him, was unable to put the thoughts out of her mind any longer: she stopped and turned to face him. The look in his eye was part pain, part confusion. Before he could ask why they had stopped, she kissed him, and was delighted when he kissed her back.  
  
TBC 


	13. “Can you ever forgive me?”

The Hunter, part 13  
  
Rommie was lost in the moment: ever since Harper had first built her, she had wanted this to happen. She had dreamed about it, yearned for it, needed it, and now it was finally happening!  
  
Dylan slowly ran his hands through Rommie's hair: he couldn't believe he had never realised how he felt for her before! She had hidden her feelings for him for so long, and then, when she had finally confessed, he freaked out completely. He'd been such a fool! How could he ever make it up to her?  
  
Rommie suddenly broke away and backed up against the wall, "This is all wrong!" Dylan looked at her, confused, "What's wrong about it? We obviously both feel the same way." Rommie shook her head, "It wont work: you're a High Guard captain, and I'm your ship's Avatar, who's technically AWOL." Dylan shook his head, "We can work out a way round that. I love you, and I want to be with you." Rommie looked him in the eye, "Prove it: resign your commission and leave the High Guard."  
  
Dylan was taken aback, "Do you know what you're asking me to do?" Rommie looked at him, "If you had really been serious, you would have said yes right away. I'm sorry Dylan, but it won't work: I can't stay in Commonwealth space, there are to many warrants out for my arrest." Dylan smiled and took a step forward, "We can deal with that: Tyr had warrants on him when he joined the crew, and they where revoked in recognition for his service to the Commonwealth."  
  
Rommie took a step to the side, keeping her distance from Dylan, "What about the AWOL charges? Think that the CINC will just forget about them?" Dylan hobbled up to Rommie and rested his hands on her shoulders, "I think I can talk him into it: I did rebuild the Commonwealth." He looked her in the eye, "What's really worrying you?"  
  
Rommie started to cry, "I've wanted to hate you for so long, but I never could! When I told you I loved you and you rejected me, I was worried I'd end up like Pax: she went mad because she felt her captain had spurned her. She killed him, and I didn't want to risk that happening to you, so I ran as far and as fast as I could!" Dylan took her in his arms and pulled her tight, "I'm so sorry Rommie: I never wanted to hurt you. I loved you back then, but I didn't want to admit it to myself: What I said and did was all out of fear of my feelings for you. Not a day has gone by since that I haven't regretted what happened. Can you ever forgive me?"  
  
Rommie looked up to him, tears filling he eyes, and smiled, "Yes."  
  
TBC 


	14. Full of Surprises

The Hunter, part 14  
  
Tyr looked at Trance, "What have you got to smile about? Trance grinned, "Dylan and Rommie, alone. I just hope they finally work things out." Tyr stopped short, "What do you mean? Rommie hates Dylan." Dex laughed, "Not true my Nietzschean friend: she told me she still loves him." Trance span- round happily, "And have you seen the way Dylan's been looking at her? It's finally going to happen!"  
  
Tyr was even more confused, "What is?" Trance looked him in the eye, "Dylan's going to admit how he really feels for Rommie, and hopefully she'll admit she feels the same." Tyr looked down at the golden-skinned alien, "Or she may kill him for putting her through what he did." Trance's face fell, "I didn't think of that!"  
  
Dylan leaned on Rommie as they made they made their way long the service- tunnel. He gently blew in her ear, and she giggled, "Stop that! We have a mission to complete." He smiled, "I'm sorry, I'm just so happy that everything's worked out between us." He kissed her, "God I've missed you." Rommie smiled, "And I've missed you too, but we still have to get to the main AI and convince him we're friendly. Then we have to stop the Magog."  
  
She suddenly pushed him to the ground as a bolt of energy shot down the tunnel. Dylan shielded his eyes as it exploded further along, "Plasma- round!" Rommie took a grenade from her backpack and tossed it down the corridor: it exploded with a bright flash that temporarily blinded Dylan. He shook his head to get his vision to clear, and saw Rommie walking back towards him, "What the hell was that?"  
  
Rommie dropped a piece of burnt metal at his feet, "Flash-grenade: it had the same effect on the sensor as it did on you. Useful for getting past automated defences and security cameras." Dylan chuckled, "Your just full of surprises aren't you!" Rommie pulled him to his feet and grinned mischievously, "Just you wait till we get back to the ship: You'll see just how full of surprises I am."  
  
There was movement along the tunnel, and a round struck Rommie in the chest, knocking her to the ground. Dylan screamed, "NOOOOO!" A second round caught him in the shoulder, and he landed next to Rommie. He looked up to see a security Android standing over him, an extended forcelance in its hand: the weapons moved with super-human speed, smashing into the side of Dylan's head, knocking him out.  
  
TBC 


	15. Prisoners

The Hunter, part 15  
  
"I think he's coming round: Dylan, can you hear he? Dylan, try to wake up."  
  
Dylan slowly opened his eyes and saw Trance standing over him, "What? What happened? Where's Rommie?" Trance's face fell, "We where hoping you could tell us that: you where alone when they brought us in." Dylan slowly sat up, "We where in a tunnel: Rommie had just taken out a anti-personnel plasma cannon. Something moved up ahead of us." His eyes went wide, "Rommie was shot! There was an android with a forcelance: it shot Rommie, then me, and then knocked me out."  
  
Across the room, Tyr shook his head, "We where ambushed by another Planetary Warfare-bot. It didn't try to shoot us, it just stood there, it's weapons train on us until a squad of security androids arrived: they escorted us here." Dex banged his head against the wall, "Of all the mission I've been on, I've only been captured once before, and I ain't going through that again."  
  
The cell door opened, and two security androids dropped Rommie to the floor, then left, closing the door behind them. Dylan managed to pull himself across the floor to where she lay, "Rommie! Can you hear me?" Her eyes flickered, and she smiled, "Dylan! You're ok?" Dylan smiled, "I'll live. What did they do to you?" Rommie blinked, "I don't know, but I can't move." Dylan turned round, "Try, Dex."  
  
The two men pulled Rommie up against the wall and got her into a sitting position. Dylan managed to stager over to sit next to her, "Do you remember anything after the tunnel?" Rommie nodded slowly, "They took me to a dark room, and someone asked me questions: about the fall, about Andromeda, about you."  
  
A hologram appeared in the middle of the room, "That was me." Dylan looked at the newcomer, "And you are?" The hologram smiled, "My name is Peter, I am the main AI of the High Guard New St. Petersburg supply depot." Dylan slowly stood, "I'm captain Dylan Hunt of the High Guard." The hologram smiled again, "You can claim to be whoever you want: Captain Hunt died over 300-years ago. I don't know how you recovered the Andromeda Ascendant, or managed to convince its AI that you are her former Captain, but you don't fool me."  
  
The cell door opened again, "Shut up for one minuet will you." Dylan span round and found himself facing Peter, "Who are you?" The hologram sighed, "He is my Avatar, I'd I've told him before not to interrupt me during an interrogation!" The Android crossed his arms, "Why don't we just take a DNA sample from him and run it against Captain Hunt's file?" The hologram nodded, "If it will prove his lies, very well."  
  
The Avatar drew his forcelance, "If you would please follow me." Dylan got shakily to his feet, "What about Rommie?" Peter looked at her, "She'll be ok in about 15-muiets: the capacitor-round that hit her overloaded her circuitry, but it's effects are only temporary." Dylan nodded, and followed the android from the room.  
  
TBC 


	16. Rightful Master

The Hunter, part 16  
  
Dylan followed the Avatar as it walked along the corridor. Peter suddenly stopped and turned round, "I feel I must apologise for my main AI's rather harsh tone of voice: he's not been the same since the fall." Dylan nodded, "I've seen worse: The Balance of Judgment formed the Restors, and Pax Magellanic killed her captain and went mad." Peter shook his head, "I'm just glad I'm not a ship."  
  
The medical bay was slightly dust, "I'm sorry about this: it's not been of much use these past 309-odd years." Dylan smiled, "I think I'll live." A pair of security androids entered from another door as Peter's hologram appeared, "Not if you're not if your not who you say you are you wont." The Avatar shook his head, "Why do you have to be so melodramatic all the time?" The hologram blinked, "I'm not the one who reads all that Shakespeare!"  
  
Dylan couldn't help but laugh, resulting in the two Peter's giving him an unpleasant look. He tried to compose himself, "I'm sorry: it happens on my ship all the time." The Avatar grabbed his arm and took a sample of blood. It took it over to a scanner and turned the instrument on, "Opening file for High Guard Captain Dylan Hunt, commanding officer, Glorious Heritage class Heavy-Cruiser, Andromeda Ascendant, XMC-10-284." He blinked, "Data received. Comparing to specimen."  
  
Peter turned round and saluted, "It's a honour to meet you, Captain Hunt." The hologram blinked, "What? How can he still be alive?" Dylan smiled, "It's a long story involving a Black Hole and time-distortion. But right now, I'd like you to release my crew." The android nodded, "At once Sir. I shall escort them to the control room my self." He quickly marched from the room. The Hologram looked nervous, "I'd like to apologise for my earlier words and actions: I've had people come here before claiming to he High Guard officers, or Commonwealth representatives."  
  
Dylan smiled, "I quite understand: you've spent over 300-years defending this base, never knowing if help would ever come. Well, I can tell you now that as soon as I get word to the Andromeda, over 50 High Guard ship's are going to arrive to pickup supplies. I'll make sure you get some help to get this base fully operational: We have to stop the Magog, and this place is on the front line. How many Nova Bombs do you have left? The last audit I found said 1,500."  
  
Peter shook his head, "I'm afraid that we had to send some out on ships during The Fall." Dylan's face fell, "How many do you have left?" Peter seemed to think for a second, "1,462, all fully operational and read for loading. There are also two ship's in the orbital repair dock hidden in the second moon: their AI's are in dormant mode at the moment." Dylan blinked, "What ships?" Peter seemed confused by the question, "The Fires of Arcadia and the Stalking Angle, both Righteous Fist of Heaven Class DSA's. Do you wish to talk to them?"  
  
Dylan nodded, slightly shocked, "That would be nice."  
  
TBC 


	17. Mitigating Circumstances

The Hunter, part 17  
  
Peter led Dylan to the central control room, "Initiating AI start-up." Two of the screens switched on to show a man and a woman in High Guard uniforms. Peter stood before them, "Time to wake up, we have a visitor: Captain, this is the Fires of Arcadia, or as we call him, Art, and Stalking Angle, better known as just Angle. Art, Angle, this is Captain Dylan Hunt of the Andromeda Ascendant. He's come here to reactivate the base." The two AI's nodded, "Captain."  
  
Dylan was about to respond when Rommie ran in and kissed him. It took him a moment to get his breath back, "I see feeling your old self again." Rommie smiled, "All the better for seeing you." Dylan put his arm around her, "Rommie, meet Art and Angle." Rommie looked at the screen and smiled, "Hi guy's: long time no-see."  
  
Art laughed, "You could say that again Andromeda. When'd you get the Avatar?" Rommie's smiled faded, "I've not been Andromeda's Avatar for three years: she has a new one now." Angle's eyes went wide, "You're rouge? You know what the penalty is for an Avatar that goes rouge?" Rommie nodded, her eye hard, "I'm fully aware of the normal procedures, and if any of you want to try and disassemble me, you're welcome to try!" Dex drew his gauss-gun, "Just try it, any of you!"  
  
Dylan interceded, "Wow-there! No-one is dismantling Rommie!" Angle looked down at him, "Captain Hunt, I do believe you are allowing your quite clear personal feelings for that Avatar to cloud your judgment. I call a court- martial!" Dylan shook his head; "There aren't enough officers present to hold a court-martial." Peter's Avatar took a step forward, "I am afraid there are Captain: Yourself, Art, Angle and I are all High Guard officers." Dylan nodded, "Very well. Who should hold judgment?"  
  
Art shrugged, "I say Peter: He's relatively neutral in this matter. Angle obviously wants to act as the prosecution. That leaves me with defence: you're a witness captain." Dylan nodded, "Very well, let's get this over with."  
  
Peter walked to the centre of the room, "Andromeda-Avatar, you stand charged with abandoning your post and going rouge. How do you plead?" Rommie looked straight at him, "Not-guilty by way of mitigating circumstances." Peter nodded, "Very well, we shall proceed: Your witness Angle."  
  
Angle looked down on Rommie, "What mitigating circumstances do you claim?" Rommie looked at the screen, "I developed feelings for Captain Hun that you would probably call improper. After three years of hiding my feelings, I told him how I felt, and, at the time, he rejected me. I have seen what can happen to AI's that feel rejected by people they have feelings for: I did not wish to put Captain Hunt's life at risk, so I left the Andromeda."  
  
Angle looked confused, "What evidence do you have that by staying you would have put Captain Hunt's life at risk?" Rommie turned to Peter, "With your permission, I would like to enter into evidence the events surrounding the death of the Captain Warrick of the Starship Pax Magellanic." Peter nodded, "Proceed." Rommie placed her hand on the VR interface and downloaded her memories.  
  
Peter gasped, then turned to Art and Angle, "You better see this for yourselves!" He tight-beamed the data to the two ships. Art's eyes went wide, "How could Pax do that? I fell that this proves the case: Rommie's decision to leave was based her knowledge of how AI's can react under the same circumstances." Angle nodded, "I light of this new evidence, I must concur: leaving the Andromeda before the feelings of rejection grew to dangerous levels was the best course of action. Rommie, I apologise for my reaction: I was un-aware f what you had seen happen to Pax."  
  
Rommie smiled, putting her arm around Dylan, "It's perfectly understandable. I'm with Dylan now, and that's all that maters to me."  
  
TBC 


	18. A trust betrayed

The Hunter, part 18  
  
Rommie felt strange returning to Andromeda after what had happened on New St. Petersburg: she felt a peace now Dylan had admitted his feelings for her. Smiling, she put her arm through his as the Argo's airlock cycled open, but her face fell when she saw what awaited them.  
  
A contingent of Lancer stood in full body armour, weapons at the ready. Tyr and Trance stepped down onto the deck. The Nietzschean looked at the assembled security detail, "What's going on?" Andromeda's hologram appeared, "Dylan, we've received orders from CIIC: Rommie is to be arrested for crimes she's committed in Commonwealth space." Dylan turned, and for a moment, saw the pain in Rommie's eyes. He went to say something, but she reacted faster.  
  
Rommie span round, her elbow catching Dylan in the back, knocking him out of the airlock. She dived inside and hit the hatch controls, "Time to get out of here Dex!" The pilot, not needing to be told twice, hit the re-heat for the main engine, and pulled the throttle all the way back: there was an ear-splitting scream as the Argo's landing pads scrapped along the deck. Rommie hit a few commands, and the inner-doors closed, just as the Argo shot through. The outer-hatch seemed to take forever in opening, and the small ship only just made it through.  
  
Dex dived the ship, getting below the bulk of Andromeda's weapons and below the grapple-launchers. Rommie punched the coms-unit in rage, shattering it, "Damn you Dylan!" Dex stole a look over his shoulder, "What the hell happened?" Rommie had started to cry, "The bastard betrayed me: he said he'd be able to arrange pardons for us after we helped him on New St. Petersburg, but there was a squad of Lancers waiting for us back there." Dex shook his head, "That cosseted son-of-a-bitch!"  
  
The sensors started pinning. Rommie glanced at them, "We got two Slipfighter's tracking us. I'll give them something else to think about!" She pressed a button twice, and two mines fell from the back of the Argo. They homed in on the Slipfighter's, and when they connected, the high-power capacitors discharged, stopping the pursuit-craft without harming the pilots.  
  
The Argo shout out from underneath Andromeda, and as Dex lined up on the slip-portal, Rommie typed a few commands into the weapons-counsel, "Consider this a parting gift Dylan!" she pressed the fire command, and a single missile sped away from the fleeing ship as it entered slipstream. The missile flew straight and true, impacting against the slip-drive regulator, disabling the Andromeda's faster-than-light drive with the minimal of damage to the rest of the ship.  
  
TBC 


	19. “Something I have to do”

The Hunter, part 19  
  
Dylan sat in his office, almost comatose: he'd lost her again. He had finally worked out how he felt for her, and he'd lost her, maybe for good this time. If only she'd stayed they could have found a way out of it, they could have been together.  
  
He didn't hear Andromeda when she called to him. She tried again, but still he didn't' respond. In the end she gave up, and her holographic form appeared before him, "Dylan!" He looked up in shock, "Huh? What did you say?" Andromeda's eyes fell slightly, "Harper reports that the slipstream drive is back on-line."  
  
Dylan nodded, "Ok, tell Beka to set course for New St. Petersburg. I'll be up later." Andromeda looked at him with concern, "Dylan, it's not your fault she ran again." Dylan shook his head, "I told her I'd arrange a pardon for her and Dex, but what dose she see as soon as she steps through the airlock? A squad of Lancers there to take her into custody." Andromeda took a step closer, "Dylan, I scanned the Argo when we first brought it aboard: it has enough firepower to take out a Nietzschean Destroyer, yet they deliberately avoided using it: They used electro-static mines to stop the Slipfighter's, and the missile they used to disable my slipdrive could have done serious damage to an inhabited section, probably even killed people."  
  
Dylan looked up, "So what are you saying?" Andromeda smiled softly, "I think that despite everything, Rommie still loves you." Dylan shock his head, "It's not enough: twice I've hurt her in ways I can never make up for, no mater what I could try." His eyes met those of the hologram, "I love her: I realised that on New St. Petersburg. I love her, and I told her so. She admitted she still loved me. We where going to be together, but now I've lost her again."  
  
Andromeda smiled, "I have something for you Dylan." The office door opened, and a service-android stepped through, a flexi in its hand: It placed it on the desk and left. Dylan picked the flexi up, "What's this?" Andromeda smiled again, "I had Harper place a tracker on the Argo when he was getting it ready for the trip to New St. Petersburg: I wanted to make sure that you came back in once piece. That's the frequency you need to follow them through slipstream. The signal should still be strong enough to track, if you leave now."  
  
Dylan jumped to his feet, "I need a ship!" Andromeda stepped out of the way as he headed for the door, "There's a Slipfighter prepped and ready in hanger-one. Good luck Dylan." He stopped, "Tell Beka I'll meet up with the fleet at New St. Petersburg, but this is something I have to do."  
  
The Slipfighter blasted clear of Andromeda and turned to face the slip- portal. Dylan set the tracker to the frequency of the Argo's tracker. He smiled slightly when it picked up a strong signal. He took the ship into slipstream.  
  
TBC 


	20. Hell Hath No Fury

The Hunter, part 20  
  
The Slipfighter landed in the centre of the deserted town: the tracer signal from the Argo placed the craft with 20-meters of Dylan's position. He popped the canopy and jumped down to the ground. The bright sunlight hurt his eyes, so he put on a pair of tinted glasses. Now all he had to do was find Rommie and convince her that he hadn't set her up back on the Andromeda.  
  
There was the un-mistakable sound of a heavy weapon powering-up, and Dylan jumped clear as a hail of weapons fire struck the Slipfighter. He managed to get behind a low wall before the fighter exploded: what ever happened, he wasn't leavening the way he came. Drawing his forcelance, he poked his head cautiously round the end of the wall, "Rommie, it's Dylan: we need to talk!"  
  
"Ok then, come out." Replied a voice that seamed to come from a dozen places at once. Dylan slowly got to his feet, but dropped to the ground again as a stream of gauss-rifle rounds passed just millimetres over his head. He spat dust from his mouth, "Rommie, I just want to talk!" again the voice echoed back from all around, "The time for talking is over Dylan."  
  
The wall shook as it took fire from a dozen different locations. Dylan covered his head as a grenade went off nearby and swore to himself: Could he really blame her for reacting this way? He had betrayed her trust after declaring his love for her. She had every right to be pissed-off at him, but if she killed him, he'd never be able to make things right between the two of them.  
  
He threw his forcelance over the wall, "I'm unarmed. I just want to talk: hear me out, and if you want till kill me then, that's up to you!" he hopped he was doing the right thing. "Ok, talk." The voice came from just over the wall. Dylan slowly stood, his hands raised in submission: Rommie stood less than 5-meters away, a heavy gauss-rifle in her hands, it's barrel pointed directly at his head.  
  
"Look, Rommie, I had nothing to do with what happened back on Andromeda: I didn't know about it until we got back." He looked for any sign of emotion in her eyes, but they where as hard as stone. He tried again, "The last thing I would ever do is hurt you in any way: I love you Rommie, and I want to be with you." The androids eyes stayed fixed, "Talk's cheep Dylan: actions speak louder than words."  
  
Dylan went to take a step forward, but Rommie raised the gun to her shoulder and took aim, "Stay exactly where you are!" Dylan stopped, "Ok, ok, I'm sorry! I didn't realise what the CIIC was planning to do: I've already submitted request for pardons for both you and Dex. We can get this all sorted out, it just needs time." Their where tears in Rommie's eyes as she looked at him, "There is no time Dylan."  
  
With that, she pulled the trigger.  
  
TBC  
  
(As before, the next chapter will not be posted until tomorrow.) 


	21. Decisions

(I lied :-))  
  
The Hunter, part 21  
  
Time seemed to slow down.  
  
Dylan saw the blue-glow that preceded the bullet: the magnetic accelerators discharged, propelling the metal sphere along at several times the speed of sound. He saw the round leave the barrel, and felt the heat generated as it tore through the air, just centimetres to the side of his head.  
  
There was a groan behind him, followed by the unmistakable thump of a dead body hitting the ground. He slowly turned to see a dead Nietzschean lying on the ground, a gauss-gun in its hand. He turned back in time to see Rommie drop her weapon and fall to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.  
  
Dylan ran over to her and held her tight as she cried, "It's ok Rommie, its ok." He held her head against his shoulder as she continued the sob. After several minuets, Rommie was able to controller herself enough to speak, "I told you their where contracts out on your life." Dylan kissed her, "I'm lucky to have someone like you to watch my back." Rommie smiled weekly, finally able to control the tears.  
  
"Not that I want to interrupt this heartfelt moment, but our dead friends pall's are on the way, and it would be better if we weren't here when they arrived." Dylan looked up to see Dex standing in the doorway of a large warehouse, his gauss-gun at the ready. Nodding, Dylan lifted Rommie up in his arms and carried her to the waiting pilot. He was not surprised to see that the warehouse was nothing more than a hollow shell that hid the Argo from anyone who might be looking for it.  
  
Dylan gently set Rommie down in one of the passenger seats and helped her strap in as Dex typed commands into a control-panel in the warehouses wall. He ran through the airlock and jumped into the pilots seat, "You better strap yourself in, I've just set the self-destruct system: in less than 60- seconds, this place is going to be nothing but a memory!" Dylan stumbled into the weapons-officer's seat before the Argo's powerful engines roared into life, sending the ship through the warehouses false ceiling and into the air. Dex pulled the controls back, raising the ship's nose, and pulled back hard on the throttle.  
  
The air was sucked from Dylan's lungs as the Argo shot through the air at maximum speed. He thanked his lucky stars that his mother had been high- gravity worlder, as he would have passed out otherwise. As they reached the upper atmosphere, Dex brought the artificial-gravity generators on-line, and Dylan felt the wait on his chest ease-off.  
  
"Where to Boss?" Dex called out over his shoulder as he headed for the slip- portal. Rommie looked at Dylan, "Well?" Dylan took her hand, "If you go back with me, I can't guaranty that I'll be able to talk CIIC round." Rommie smiled, "I'll take that risk." Dylan kissed her and turned to Dex, "New St. Petersburg."  
  
TBC 


	22. Stir Crazy

The Hunter, part 22  
  
Rommie lay on the bunk, looking up at the ceiling: It had been two days since they had arrived at New St. Petersburg and she had surrendered to the waiting lancers. For two days she had had no one to talk to, nothing to do, so she was quite surprised when the door opened and Ann walked in.  
  
She sat up and looked at the other Avatar, "And what can I do for you?" Ann shrugged, "I just thought that you might want someone to talk to." Rommie smiled, "Thanks, I've been going stir-crazy with boredom. Have a seat." Ann sat down on a chair opposite Rommie's bed, "Dylan's been in meetings with fleet-command almost non-stop since you got back. I don't know what they've been saying, but he's very tired." Rommie smiled, "He's trying to convince them to give Dex and me full pardons for the things we've done in Commonwealth space."  
  
Ann seamed confused, "Is this due to your feelings for each other?" Rommie nodded, "Yep! We want to be together, but I can't stay if their going to send me to prison or dismantle me, and Dylan can't leave because of his sense of duty compels him to see this thing with the Magog through to the end. The course of true-love never runs smooth!" Ann seemed nervous, "Can I ask you for some advice about relationships?"  
  
Rommie shrugged, "If you think I can be any help, go ahead." Ann moved her chair closer, "For the last few mouths have been having, well, 'feelings', for someone on the crew, but I don't know if they feel the same about me." Rommie was intrigued, "Who?" Ann smiled nervously, "Harper." Rommie burst out laughing.  
  
Ann seemed worried, "What's wrong?" Rommie fought to control herself, "The last thing you have to worry about is Harper not having feelings for you: he built me because he was in love with Andromeda, so the chances are he's got a major crush on you!" Ann breathed a deep sigh of relief and smiled, "I'm so glad you said that: I was getting worried that he'd reject me like." Ann trailed off. Rommie shrugged it off, "You can say it: like Dylan rejected me. I don't care about that anymore: he knows he loves me now, and that's all I care about."  
  
The door opened again to reveal a Lancer-sergeant, her forcelance at the ready, "The Captain want to see you on the observation deck." Ann stood, "I'll escort her Sergeant." The lancer thought for a moment, and then nodded her consent. Ann and Rommie walked along the corridors, crewmember staring at them as they passed. Rommie couldn't help but laugh at it: the two avatars; spot the difference? They finally reached the observation deck, and Ann stopped by the door, "Good luck." Rommie smiled. "And the same to you."  
  
Rommie opened the hatch and stepped through.  
  
TBC 


	23. The Deal

The Hunter, part 23  
  
Dylan was stood by the window when Rommie entered. She slowly walked up to him, nervous of what news he had, "Dylan." He turned round, his face set like stone, "They've come to a decision: they are willing to offer you and Dex conditional pardons. You can take it, or serve 10-years at a Commonwealth re-education colony. The choice is yours." Rommie nodded, "What are the conditions of the pardon?"  
  
Dylan remained expressionless, "You each have to serve 5-years in the Argosy, after which you will be given an 'other than honourable' discharge, but you will be free." Rommie nodded again, "Dex will take the pardon." Dylan looked at her, "But what about you?" Rommie looked him in the eye; "It depends where I have to serve my time in the fleet?" Dylan smiled, "You think I'd let you out of my sight for 5-years?"  
  
Rommie ran up to him, and putting her arms round his Keck, kissed him, "You had me worried there for a minuet." Dylan put his arms around her, "And you had me worried when you pointed that Gauss Rifle at me back on Kingfisher. Consider this pay-back." Rommie's face fell, "I did try to kill you back there." Dylan kissed her on the forehead, "I know, but you where upset about what had happened. I forgive you."  
  
The hatched opened again, and Dex walked in, escorted by Tyr. He looked at Dylan and Rommie, "Get a room!" Rommie laughed, "That's already been taken care of." She let go of Dylan and walked up to her friend, "Ok, the deal that's been worked out is this: 10-years in prison or 5-years in the Argosy. I've taken the later, but you get to decide for your self." Dex shrugged, "I'll take the latter: I ain't ever going back in a cell, I'd die first."  
  
Dylan nodded, "Very well: Dex, your be assigned to a Slipfighter squadron for the duration of tour of duty. Rommie, your be assigned duties as and when needed. I can't give ether of you security clearances, so you'll be bared from certain parts of the ship." Dex shrugged again, "I can live with that."  
  
Rommie turned to face Dylan, "What about us?" Dylan smiled, "Well, we only have one spare bunk on the ship, so you'll have to sear with someone." Rommie smiled, a mischievous look in her eye, "I think I can handle that."  
  
TBC 


	24. Regrets

The Hunter, part 24  
  
Rommie straightened her uniform as the last of the officers boarded the Argo for the trip down to New St. Petersburg. Dylan had, for reasons of his own, assigned her and Dex to transport duties. It was less then ideal, but they didn't have a choice: the only cargo being run was weaponry, and nether of them was cleared for that. So they where stuck running engineers and supply officers from ship to planet and back.  
  
She tried not to hear the snide remarks and insults made about her and her relationship with Dylan, tried not to get upset by the things people said as they passed her in the corridors. She had been assigned to work details, but after an incident with a nano-welder, she had been reassigned to transport.  
  
Dex hit a few controllers, "Ok everyone, better strap yourselves in: there is a high-pressure system moving in on the landing field, and it's going to be a bit of a bumpy ride today." The passengers tightened their straps, and the Argo left Andromeda's hanger deck. As Dex had promised, the trip down to the planet was bumpy, and several of the passengers made use of the sick- bags provided.  
  
The Argo finally landed, and Rommie opened the airlock to let the passengers out. As there was no one waiting to go up, they got a brake. Rommie sat down in a chair and rubbed her eyes, "I swear to god Dex, I'm beginning to regret this!" The pilot looked at her, "What where the options again? Oh yes, that's right: Spend the rest of your life regretting what might have happened between you and Captain Hunt? Letting him come down here on his own, probably getting killed in the proses? Shooting him on Kingfisher? Spending 10-years in prison? Not a lot to choose from."  
  
Rommie smiled, "Why do you have to be so philosophical all the time?" Dex shrugged, "It comes from spending so much time in space: you get a lot of time to think when you're costing between slip-portals." Rommie shock her head, "It's just difficult dealing with all the crap the rest of the crew give me: half of it's because I was the ships Avatar, and I went rouge, and half is because I'm sleeping with Dylan."  
  
Dex was about to reply when a man in a High Guard Captains uniform stepped through the hatch, "I need to get up to the Honour in Victory ASAP!" Rommie helped him strap in as Dex radioed for clearance. The Argo's powerful engines rumbled as the small ship shot up through the atmosphere to the High Guard fleet. No sooner had they docked then their passenger was out of the airlock and away.  
  
Dex took the Argo back out into space and turned to Rommie, "Look, I think we're onto a good thing here, but you give the word, and I'll get us out of here: must of our stuff is still onboard, and the fuel tanks are almost full. It's up to you Boss."  
  
TBC 


	25. Friendly Fire

The Hunter, part 25  
  
Dex's words hung heavy in the air: the Argo was in tip-top condition thanks to Harper, and the slip-portal was only minuets away. Rommie felt herself being drawn in two different directions: on the one hand, getting-away from all the hassle and strife resulting in being back was tempting, but on the other hand, she didn't want to leave Dylan again. She sat for several minuets, just thinking. In the end she made her decision, "Take us back to Andromeda: I need to talk to Dylan." Dex nodded, and brought the Argo round to face the larger ship.  
  
They where just about to dock when alarms started going off: Dex looked at the sensor screen, "Boss, we got Magog swarm-ships inbound!" Rommie activated the weapons system, "Look's like a recon-raid to see what we're up to here." Dex swung the ship round as the Andromeda opened up on the Magog. He turned to Rommie, "If you want to get out of here, now's the time!" Rommie shock her head, "No, we stay and fight! Bring us around to face the Magog, I'll bring the weapons on line."  
  
The Argo came about in a tight arc and headed towards the Magog ships. Rommie brought the ship's AP cannon on-line: bolts of anti-protons drawn from the ship's fuel tanks shot out at the swarm-ships, smashing the ones they hit. Anti-ship missiles leaped from the launcher, clawing Magog from the sky. Dex looked at the sensors, "Boss, one of them is making for the slip-portal!" Rommie looked up to see one of the Magog ship's trying to flee, "After it!" She felt herself being pushed back into her seat as the AG field tried to catch up with the acceleration as Dex bit the re-heat, sending the Argo after the fleeing ship at maximum speed.  
  
The Magog swerved and weaved to avoid the missiles sent after it, and managed to reach the slip-portal. Rommie slammed her fist down on the weapons consul, "Keep after him: If they find out what's happening here, they'll come back and destroy the entire system!" Dex just nodded as he took the Argo into slipstream. The swarm-ship was just ahead of them, and Dex had no trouble following it trough the energy-cords that made-up the null-space that was slipstream.  
  
With a flash, the Magog ship transited to normal space, followed almost instantly by the Argo. A pair of high-velocity anti-ship missiles crossed the gap between the two ships in a matter of seconds, their high-explosive warheads ripping the swarm-ship to pieces. Rommie smiled, "Scratch on swam- ship. Ok, take us back to New St. Petersburg." Dex nodded, swinging the ship round and taking it back into slipstream.  
  
The Argo arrived back in the New St. Petersburg system, and alarms stared to go off almost immediately. Dex looked at the sensors, his eyes wide, "Boss, we're getting fired at by the Wrath of Achilles!" Rommie tried to activate the point-defence systems, but an AP-round struck the Argo: The weapons consul exploded in a shower of sparks, throwing her across the cabin.  
  
TBC 


	26. Relationship problems

The Hunter, part 26  
  
"You better call Dylan: I think she's coming round at last!" Harper's voice penetrated the fog that filled Rommie's mind. She slowly opened her eyes, "What happened?" Trances concerned face appeared above her, "There was a, well, they're calling it an 'incident' at the moment: when you came back through the slip-portal, the Wrath of Achilles fired at the Argo. They hit you a few times before Dylan could stop them."  
  
Rommie sat up slowly, "I'm surprised he bothered: he's all but ignored me the past couple of days." Trance looked confused, "I thought the two of you where searing quarters?" Rommie looked at her, "Apart from that." Trance nodded, understanding, "Oh, well, he's been down here pretty much continually since they brought you and Dex onboard." Rommie blinked, "Where is Dex?"  
  
Trance's face fell, "He's in medical: he got pretty badly banged up: the pilots chair broke loss from the floor and he hit the bulkhead quite hard. He's been in a coma since then." Rommie stood up and grabbed her jacket, "Out of my way." Harper blocked her path, "Where do you think you're going?" Rommie looked at him, her eyes hard, "To kill the Wrath of Achilles' tactical officer."  
  
"That would be a bad idea." Interrupted Dylan from the door, a look of relief on his face, "But I'm glad to see you're back on your feet: it's been two days." Rommie looked at him, "We need to talk. In privet." Taking the hint, Trance and Harper left them alone in the machine shop. Dylan closed the hatch, "Andromeda, engage privacy mode." The AI's voice came back from the speaker by the door, "Privacy mode engaged." Dylan turned to Rommie, "What do we need to talk about?"  
  
Rommie laughed, shaking her head, "How about the fact that, apart from when we're in bed, you've all but ignored me since I took the deal the admiralty offered me!" Dylan was taken aback, "I thought that if I distanced myself from you in public it would make it easier for you to work with the rest of the crew!" Rommie smiled sarcastically, "Well it didn't work! Most of the crew just ignore me, while the others spend their entire free time making- up snide remarks and insults: some of the things I've been called aver the last few days would make a dock-worker blush!"  
  
Dylan's face fell, "I'm sorry about that: if there was anything I could do about that, I would. But I can't. Anyway, your little 'going after the Magog ship to stop it reporting back' stunt seams to have endured you to most of the crew: we had to place guards outside to keep people from pestering Harper while he worked on you." He put his arms around Rommie and kissed her, "I'm sorry if you feel that I've been ignoring you lately, but there are a few people who would like to see you melted down for scrap: you kind of embarrassed the Admiralty with the ease you escaped after we got back from New St. Petersburg."  
  
Rommie rested her head on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, it's not your fault: I'm just not used to having to take orders after so long away."  
  
TBC 


	27. Prejudices

The Hunter, part 27  
  
Rommie sat outside the conference room where the investigation into the 'incident' was being held. She had promised Dylan she wouldn't do anything 'stupid', so he had allowed her to sit a wait while the first hearing went on. Harper sat with her, supposedly to keep her company, but she new that he was really keeping an eye on her for Dylan.  
  
The doors where flung open, and Dylan stormed out and along the corridor. Rommie blinked, then ran after him, closely followed by Harper. They finally caught up with Dylan as he reached the mess hall. Rommie grabbed him by the arm, "What happened?" Dylan clenched his fists, "The defence is claiming that given the fact that you and Dex where on probation and where not meant to make un-authorised slip-jumps, that firing on you was justified." Rommie's eye's went wide, "WHAT!" Dylan shook his head, "And you know what the best part is? They may just get away with it: half of the people on the panel where opposed to your pardons in the first place, and see this as a chance to get even with me."  
  
Rommie sank down into a chair, shocked. Dylan knelt down in front of her and rested a hand on her cheek, "I'm sorry: I didn't realise how bad things must be for you, I didn't realise what people can be like." Rommie smiled, "It's ok Dylan, not everyone can be like you. One of the reasons I love you is that you see me as a person, not just an Android." She leaned forward and kissed him, "I don't care what anyone else thinks: only you." Dylan smiled, "Well I love you."  
  
Harper coughed self-consciously, "Not that I want to interrupt or anything, but we have to get back to the Andromeda: the Than-Thre-Kull and Sabra/Jaguar fleet's are due sometime today, and given are little run-in with the Magog, CINC wants us to high-tale it out of here to go visit our old friend The Spirit of the Abyss." Rommie stood, "Duty calls." Dylan hugged her and held her tight, "When this is all over, I'll deal with our problems once and for all."  
  
TBC 


	28. Warpath

The Hunter, part 28  
  
Andromeda's bridge was a hive of activity as the combined fleets prepared to face-off against the Magog World-Ship, and it's occupant, the Spirit of the Abyss. Rommie stood at one of the bridge stations, completely aware of the two Lancers sent to guard her: Dylan may have had the right as captain to assign her to the bridge, but the Admiral had insisted that she was guarded at all times.  
  
Dex had finally come round, but was still confined to medical with a bad concussion and several broken bones. He had taken his condition in his normal jovial way, saying it gave him a chance to keep an eye on Rommie and keep her from getting into any more trouble. They hadn't discussed what had said onboard the Argo just before the Magog attacked: Dex had read the signs when Rommie had visited him with Dylan.  
  
Beka stood at the pilot's station, "All ship's report ready to go." Dylan nodded, leaning forward against his own controls, "Bring it." Beka nodded, and the Andromeda transited to slipstream with a shudder. Rommie could tell that the crew where nervous: the raw-power of the Magog World-Ship could destroy entire galaxies, but if they didn't stop it soon, it would be in a position to destroy the Known Worlds.  
  
Carried on every ship of the armada where Nova Bombs, the most powerful weapon ever developed by the old Systems Commonwealth, each one capable of destroying a star-system. Rommie tried not to think of the time that Beka had fired a Nova Bomb at the World Ship, only for it's awesome destructive power to be negated by the Spirit of the Abyss, leaving the World-Ship disabled, but otherwise intact.  
  
Harper was more nervous then anyone else: the last time they had fought the World Ship; he had been captured and infected with Magog larvae, almost killing him. Rommie had spoken of it with Ann, and the Avatar had promised that she would do anything necessary to stop it from happening again.  
  
Beka looked at the screen in front of her, "10-seconds to normal space." Dylan nodded, his face taught, "Battle Stations!" klaxons sounded all over the ship as the defensive systems came online. Beka's grip on the controls tightened to the point where her knuckles went white, "Transiting to normal space in: 3, 2, 1, NOW!"  
  
With a shudder, the Andromeda left slipstream.  
  
TBC 


	29. Riding the Apocalypse

The Hunter, part 29  
  
The combined fleets of the Known Worlds transited from slipstream before the dreaded Magog World-Ship. Immediately, swarm ships began to advance on the coalition forces, only to be beaten back by overwhelming fire. The World Ship slowly rotated, bringing its point singularity projector into position.  
  
The coalition ship's scattered, but with limited space to manoeuvre in, some of them failed: a Than warship was struck amidships, and broke in two, spewing fire and debris into space. Sabra/Jaguar fighters dived in, trying to disable the projector at its base. Rommie saw the Stalking Angle explode as it moved to assist the smaller ships, and paid the price for getting in the sights of the Magog's super-weapon.  
  
Dylan survived the carnage and quickly made a decision, "First wave, prepare to launch Nova Bomb barrage. Alert all ship's to be ready to make slip-jump at a moment notice." Rommie looked at the communications panel, "All ships report ready and awaiting your command." Dylan smiled, "Bring it!"  
  
Over 10-ship's fire their first salvo of Nova Bombs at the World-Ship. The missiles speed towards the central star at high-speed, but the Magog where able to stop almost half of them, but the other 20 Nova Bombs struck-home home with deadly accuracy.  
  
The star exploded in a blinding flash of light. Dylan gritted his teeth, "Second wave, Fire!" Another 10-ship's fired their missiles, sending them at the various planets that made up the World-Ship's super-structure.  
  
Planets bigger than Earth where shattered as the missiles hit home, but still the World-Ship remained intact. Deep within the heart of the World- Ship, the Spirit of the Abyss roared in pain as it tried to contain the raw- power of the Nova Bombs within its own physical form. Jets of flame thousands of kilometres long shot-out of the main-planet, some of them hitting ships in the coalition fleet, destroying them instantly.  
  
In her quarters on the Andromeda, Trance concentrated hard on countering the Spirit of the Abyss: every time it tried to direct the power of the Nova Bombs back at the coalition ships, she stoped it. Sweet ran from her brow in rivers. She knew she couldn't keep it up forever, but she had to keep her opponent busy until Dylan had destroyed the World-Ship once and for all. She smiled slightly: maybe if there had been someone like Dylan Hunt back in M81, the Magog could have been stoped there, or in one of the other Galaxy's they had ravaged.  
  
Dylan looked at what remained of his fleet: Magog swarm-ships had managed to get through the defences, and where attaching themselves to various ships. He watched as the Sabra/Jaguar flagship exploded in a fiery bloom as a Magog ship rammed its main engines: if the fight didn't end soon, the fleet would be lost. He gripped his controls tight, "All ships, fire remaining Nova Bombs on my mark: NOW!"  
  
TBC 


	30. Endgame

The Hunter, part 30  
  
The last of the Nova Bombs shot towards the World-Ship as the coalition fleet prepared to transit back to slipstream. Dylan gripped panel before him tightly as he waited to see if his plan would work.  
  
The missiles struck home, and the World-Ship was torn apart from within as the Spirit of the Abyss lost control of the energy poring into it. With a scream that shook the centre of the planet, it vanished.  
  
Still sat on the floor of her quarters, Trance looked up: he was coming for her; the final battle was at hand. She stood, and slowly made her way to the deserted Observation Deck. She stood silently in the centre of the room and waited. It didn't take long for him to re-form before her, his eyes glowing red with rage, "You shouldn't have tried to stop me!" Trance smiled, "It's what I do. This doesn't have to end like this: you can go back peacefully." The Spirit of the Abyss laughed, shaking the entire ship, "Never!"  
  
Rommie looked at the sensors, "Dylan, there is some sort of disturbance on the Observation Deck." Dylan looked at the main screen, "Put through the security camera image." Rommie tapped a few commands into the computer, and the image on the main screen changed: Trance stood before the Spirit of the Abyss, her arms held out wide. She started to glow from inside, the light getting brighter and brighter until they where no longer able to make out her outline.  
  
A beam of light emerged from Trance and struck the Spirit of the Abyss: it screamed in agony as the light covered it from head to toe. The light started to shrink, slowly drawing the Spirit of the Abyss into an ever- shrinking ball of light: the sphere shank until it became a point, and then simply disappeared.  
  
Trance disappeared from the observation Deck, and reappeared in Command. She smiled softly, "Sorry about that, but it was something I needed to do. I have to go now, but I have one last gift for you." A second beam of light appeared from Trance's hand, and knocked Rommie to the ground.  
  
TBC 


	31. “Something wonderful”

The Hunter, part 31  
  
Rommie hit the deck hard, and lay motionless.  
  
"NNNNOOOOOOO!!!" Dylan screamed as he ran to her side. Beka turned to Trance, "What have you done to her?" Trance smiled, "Something wonderful." The light emanating from within her body grew, forcing the crew to shield their eyes.  
  
The light died, and Trance was gone.  
  
Beka looked at the screen and saw the shockwave from the Nova Bombs was approaching the Andromeda at high speed. She span the ship round and quickly took it into slipstream. The ship was rocked as the slip-portal behind them collapsed, sending a ripple along the energy cords. Beka used every ounce of her skill to keep the ship on course. With a shudder, it transited to the New St. Petersburg system.  
  
Dylan lifted Rommie from the deck and ran from command, "Andromeda, get Harper to the machine shop, NOW!" He ran along the corridors, crewmembers jumping out of his way rather than get run-down.  
  
Harper was in the engine room when Ann suddenly grabbed his arm, "We have to get to the machine shop: something has happened to Rommie." Harper's eyes went wide, "What?" Ann shook her head, "I don't know: Trance did something to the Spirit of the Abyss, I think she killed it, then appeared on Command and hit Rommie with some kind of light-beam." Harper grabbed his tool-belt and ran out of the door.  
  
Dylan had already reached the machine shop when Harper cam tearing trough the door, Ann following close behind. The engineer wasted no time in running his scanner over Rommie's still form. His jaw dropped as he looked at the readings, "What the?" He put his hand on the side of her neck and jumped back like he'd been burned, "Ann, scan Rommie and tell me what you see." The Avatar held her hand over Rommie and her eyes went wide, "How did that happen?"  
  
Dylan looked at the two of them, "How did what happen?" Harper handed Dylan his sensor, "I don't know how to tell you this Boss, but Rommie's not an Android anymore: she's human!" Dylan grabbed the sensor and ran it over Rommie. He held her wrist: sure enough, there was a pulse. He looked at her again, and for the first time saw the slow, steady rising and lowering of her chest as she breathed. Without saying a word, he lifted her up and carried her to medical.  
  
Dex was still in bed when Dylan came through the door, Rommie in his arms. He pulled himself out of bed and walked shakily to the examination table, "What happened to her?" Andromeda's hologram appeared, "Trance did something to her: she's human." Rommie opened her eyes, "I'm what?" Dylan held her hand as the doctors started running test on her, "I don't know what Trance did to you, but your human now." Rommie smiled, "Where is she, I want to thank her." Dylan was confused, "Why?" Rommie looked at him, "Because now there's nothing stopping us from being together."  
  
TBC 


	32. Epilogue: No Regrets

The Hunter, part 32  
  
New St. Petersburg, two years later:  
  
Dylan walked through the door and say Rommie laid out on the sofa, sleeping. A quietly walked over to her and gently kissed her on the forehead. Her eyes opened sleepily, and she smiled, "When did you get back?" Dylan kissed her again, on the lips this time, "We docked about two hours ago: I left Beka to deal with everything and took the first shuttle down." Rommie smiled, "Let me guess: Dex brought you down in the Argo." Dylan was shocked, "How'd you know?" Rommie smiled, "You always look like that after he's put you through one of his 5-G landings." Dylan laughed, "True."  
  
Rommie slowly sat up, one hand on her swollen belly, "If I'd known I'd end up looking like this, I might not have agreed to have your child." Dylan smiled as he sat down beside her, "Admit it: you love being pregnant!" Rommie smiled, "True. I went to see the doctor the other day." Dylan looked at her, his eyes wide, "And?" Rommie kissed him on the nose, "You will be happy to know you have a perfectly healthy daughter. One, I might add, who seems intent on kicking her way out of me when I try to sleep." Dylan hugged her tight, "At lest you won't end up bruised like Beka was."  
  
There was a knock at the door, and Dylan got up to answer it: A young Ensign stood at attention, "Captain Hunt sir, the Admiral wishes to see you at your earliest convenience." Dylan sighed, "Tell him that I've just gotten back after 6-mouthns away, and I want to spend some time with my wife: I'll be in first thing tomorrow morning." The Ensign nodded apprehensively, "Very well sir." He saluted and left.  
  
Rommie laughed as the door closed, "You know what the Admiral's going to do when he gets that message?" Dylan smiled, "Since when did lieutenants get the right to talk back to there commanding offices?" Rommie kissed him, "When they marry them and have their child." Dylan smiled, "True enough." He sat down, "Have you had any thoughts about names?" Rommie nodded, "I have: Trance." Dylan thought for a second, and then smiled, "Trance Hunt? I could live with that." Rommie giggled, "Who said it was your choice to make?" Dylan grinned, "Your lucky you're pregnant, or I'd tickle you again!" Rommie laughed, "You do and your sleeping on this sofa for the next week!"  
  
Dylan took her hand in his, "No regrets?" Rommie kissed him, "No regrets."  
  
The End 


End file.
